Race Review: Lexington Race Against Hunger 2012

Feb 26, 2012 by Greg Fowler

The last Saturday of February is the traditional date for the Lexington Race Against Hunger.  February means wacky weather in the Midlands of South Carolina.  Eighty  degree weather a couple of days before the race was washed away by heavy rains and a cold front on Friday, leaving a chilly,  blustery Saturday morning.  The temperature at race start was about 45 degrees, and the brisk west wind meant the first mile was into the wind.  Thank goodness for running gloves and sunglasses.

As usual, the race was well organized and the the start went off on time.  I believe the announcers reported a record turnout.  When we finished, there was warm pizza and a warm gym to hang out for the awards ceremonies.  As a bonus, I guessed properly on my race shirt size and the long sleeve tee fits perfectly.

Last year, the LRAH was one week after my Myrtle Beach Marathon run.  I probably should not have run in it, but the LRAH is special to me, since it was the first organized race I ever ran.  Unfortunately, that run left me hobbling with two stress fractures in my left foot.  This year, with two weeks to go until my next marathon, I did not want to repeat any injuries, so my main goal was to finish injury free.

I’m glad to report that I accomplished my goal and had no issues with my “arch” nemesis left foot.  My finish time was 47:22.  I actually beat last year’s time by a few seconds, and until now had considered that race my best 10K effort (broken foot aside).

Team Competition

One of the unique aspects of the LRAH is the team competition.  Corporations can create a team by entering at least 7 individuals in the race.  The teams then compete in cross country style scoring with the top 5 individuals from each team scoring, based on their finishing time.  This year I helped organize a team at our office, and I’m proud to say we finished 3rd!

Click here to see the results.

Peace out!